


SAVE File Has Been Corrupted

by Elkian (SuperImposed)



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Comes Back Wrong, Corruption, Drabble, Gen, Sad Ending, Spoilers, Spoilers - Pacifist Route
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-18
Updated: 2015-11-18
Packaged: 2018-05-02 04:56:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5234972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperImposed/pseuds/Elkian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You saved everyone, except the ones you wanted to the most.</p>
            </blockquote>





	SAVE File Has Been Corrupted

**Author's Note:**

> Idea came to me and I wrote this up in like half an hour. EXTREMELY ROUGH AND UNBETA'D.
> 
> This wasn't the first Undertale fic I expected to post but oh well here we are.
> 
>  
> 
> [Based on this idea.](http://elkian.tumblr.com/post/133435856661/alternate-pacifist-ending-where-you-manage-to)
> 
>  
> 
> (I was trying to write from a clearly-a-child perspective, dunno how well that worked.)
> 
> Have fun.

 

“And they luh… luh- _lived_ , happily e-ever… after.”

You close the book quietly, and glance up. Reading, and talking, is hard work, but you’re determined to improve. “W… What do you think, mom?”

For a moment, the snowy-white corruption shifts, and you catch a brief glimpse of a smile as Toriel runs a paw over your head.

On the next pass, her hand slips down to wipe the tears from your cheeks.

 

\---

 

Your friend trips hard, straight into the asphalt, and you wince. “‘re you okay?” you whisper, crouching to help them up. They grin and pop back up, ignoring the newest scratches.

“I’m fine, I’m fine! C’mon, let’s do another round before it gets dark!”

“Sorry,” you mumble, smiling at their energy. “I need to go meet dad for tea time.”

Your pal nods sagely. “Right, of course. Is Undyne gonna be there?”

“I don’t think so,” you hate lying, but seeing other people interact with your family hurts you… it messes with your head, too. It’s like they don’t realize something’s wrong… or if they do, they forget it immediately.

You see them off and head home.

Asgore is already sitting at the table, sitting with that weird stillness. Undyne stands by the stove, one hand frozen as it reaches for the dial.

“...Undyne.” She unfreezes and you gently steer her to a chair, and she sits down. Asgore’s… face… tilts towards her slightly, and she turns to him. You think they might be talking somehow, but you’re not really sure.

It’s hard reaching the stove dials, even with a step stool. Sometimes Asgore will pick you up. Sometimes he’ll forget to put you down. But you don’t really mind.

It takes a while for the tea to get ready. As it’s whistling, you hear something from the table behind you, and nearly drop the kettle. “What?” That sounded like somebody _talking_.

Asgore and Undyne both turn to face you. It’s a little creepy sometimes, but you can’t think that way. The static shifts….

For a second, they’re both wearing the same smile, an expression that isn’t theirs.

Then it’s gone, and you wonder if you even saw it at all.

 

\---

 

“Oh, S-Sans, I didn’t see you there.” You pause for a second. “I guess I should, uh, expect to see you _skullking_ around, huh?”

Sans’ laugh harmonizes with Papyrus’ tinny groan. None of the… none of your family can really talk, but they can still respond to stuff. Even if it doesn’t sound quite right.

“Y-You didn’t like that, Papyrus? I thought it was… Sansational.” Another chuckle, another groan. You perk up. It’s always better when they’re responsive. “But I guess I gotta t-try harder to tickle your funny bone.”

You keep going, shooting off as many skeleton puns as you can remember as Papyrus slowly and patiently constructs his newest puzzle (between bouts of groaning). Sans sits next to you, kicking his feet and laughing harder and harder, so when you run out of bone puns, you scramble for any joke you can think of - dog jokes, food jokes, even a couple of science jokes that has Sans howling with laughter.

For a second, you think you hear another voice laughing with him, but Papyrus groans so loudly that you can’t be sure.

Even when your throat starts to hurt and your voice gets raspy, you keep going, because when they’re laughing and growling like this, they almost sound… alive.

 

\---

 

It’s a long trip back to Hotland, especially since the Riverperson has been around less and less, and the elevators don’t always work, but you never complain. You’re finishing off the last of your water when the lab finally comes into sight.

You have to force the door open, but you’re prepared for that, too. Finally, you manage to slip inside.

It’s quiet. That’s usually bad. “Alphys…?”

She’s not in the main lab, and you know what that means. You steel yourself and open the ‘bathroom’ door.

This elevator broke down long ago - the top hatch is open, so once you drop onto it, it’s a simple matter to jump inside. Getting back up is going to be the hard part.

The true lab always gives you the creeps, but you muster your determination and keep going. In your head, you know there’s nothing left down here except old machines and (hopefully) your missing friend. That doesn’t stop your skin from crawling as the damp air hits your skin. “Alphys?”

You finally find her by the ‘DT Extraction Machine’ thing. A panel in the wall is open, and her tools are laying next to her. Is she trying to fix it? “Alphys?”

She jerks away from the wall, corruption trailing behind her, and you realize that she was crying (as much as she can). You nervously touch her shoulder, and she leans into your hug. “Are you okay?”

You flinch as sounds come out of her... mouth. It sounds like her voice, but scrambled and impossible to understand. The room feels darker.

 

“Let’s… let’s go back upstairs, okay? I found something you’ll like.”

 

Getting out is just as hard as you remember, especially since Alphys goes ahead of you and doesn’t give you a boost, as she sometimes will - but at least you don’t have to carry her up the ladder.

The two of you watch anime together, seated on her bed-cube (you don’t know how to unfold it and she never seems to sleep anymore). Alphys occasionally throws popcorn at the screen and thrashes, clearly displeased - if she remembers what happened just minutes ago, she doesn’t show it.

Despite the cheerful atmosphere, the shadows seem deep and darker than usual.

 

You shiver.

 

\---

 

Before you head home, an impulse hits you. You switch directions.

It's a long, slow walk back to the Ruins, and even longer and slower once you get there - you're tired, and you know there's no chance of fast travel once you're inside. But you're determined to keep going.

You don't realize you're there til your feet tangle in the dead flowers. You trip and almost fall on your face, barely catching yourself in time. You shove yourself upright, and...

 

You're here.

A huge, golden flower bobs in the slight breeze. It's the only living thing in this room, aside from you.

You put your arms around it. "Flowey..."

There's no response.

But you never expected one.

 

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT:
> 
> Holy gosh you guys!!!! I didn't even post this 18 hours ago and there's already a ton of feedback! I'm so glad you folks liked it so much. ;v;


End file.
